By Mercy Matonga:
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament George Chaponda has called for an investigation into allegations that names are missing from the voters’ roll.
The call comes after some of the people that wanted to change voting centres during the voter transfer exercise found that their names were missing, a problem the Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) acknowledged.
Chaponda made the remarks in Parliament Thursday during proceedings in the House.
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He said there was speculation that about one million names were missing from the voters’ roll.
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“We are, therefore, calling upon the Malawi Electoral Commission to immediately embark on a voter verification exercise across the country. Any Malawian who is duly registered but does not find their name on the voters’ roll must be immediately re-registered to ensure that they can vote,” Chaponda said.
He further said voting was an important political activity for eligible Malawians.
“It is the only way Malawians can express their free will regarding the kind of leadership they desire. Malawians have registered in large numbers because they are frustrated with the ever-worsening and skyrocketing cost of living,” he said.
Chaponda also urged Mec to adhere to provisions of the law, as any action contrary to the Constitution or relevant Acts was invalid under Section 5 of the Constitution.
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“As such, failure to ensure that every registered voter can vote will be met with stiff action. We will seek the intervention of the courts, which have consistently served as a safeguard over the years,” Chaponda said.
In response, Justice Minister Titus Mvalo dismissed the concerns, saying the process was straightforward and did not require an audit.
“The issue has been raised prematurely because voter verification has not yet begun. The current system was approved by this House through the Electoral Bill,” Mvalo said.
A week ago, Mec released a statement acknowledging reports of missing records in the preliminary voters’ register at some centres.
Mec Director of Media and Public Relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa told The Daily Times recently that the commission was yet to establish the total number of affected individuals, further indicating that the figure could be less than 10.
